Other accounts

If you’re looking to hold investments outside an ISA or pension tax wrapper, a general investment account could be right for you.

There’s no annual subscription limit, so if you’ve already taken advantage of your ISA allowance, and you don’t want to lock your money away in a pension until you reach the age of 55, you can continue to invest using an investment account.

Our Smart Investor Investment Account gives you access to tools, content and research that can help you make smarter investment decisions, along with simple pricing and no hidden charges. You can see your investments alongside your other Barclays bank accounts, making it easier to monitor and manage your portfolio. Don't forget, the value of your investments can fall as well as rise. There's no guarantee you'll get back the amount you invest.

Earn up to £1,000 in savings income and receive up to £2,000 in dividends tax-free

Although there are no tax benefits if you invest in an investment account, under Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) rules introduced in April 2016, if you’re a basic rate taxpayer you can earn £1,000 a year in interest or certain other investment income, including income from corporate bonds and gilts, before you start to pay tax on your interest. And if you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you can earn £500 in investment income before you need to pay tax on your savings. Additional rate taxpayers don’t receive a PSA and will have to pay tax on any savings income they receive on savings outside an ISA or pension account.

All taxpayers can receive their first £2,000 of dividends tax-free. After that, any dividends above this amount will be subject to tax at 7.5% if you’re a basic rate taxpayer, 32.5% if you’re a higher rate taxpayer, or 38.1% if you’re an additional rate taxpayer. Bear in mind though that tax laws are subject to change and their value to you depends on your personal circumstances.

You can also earn £11,700 (in the 2018-19 tax year) of gains free of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Basic rate taxpayers pay CGT of 10% on gains above this amount, while higher and additional rate income taxpayers pay 20%.

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